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75th World Championships - CM
Varese, Italy, September 23-28, 2008
Main Page Results Race Details Live report Previous Race Next Race
Race 5 - September 27: Women's road race - 8 laps, 138.80km
Olympic champion conquers the Worlds
Cooke adds rainbow to gold; Vos and Arndt complete podium
By Ben Atkins, Hedwig Kröner and Gregor Brown in Varese, Italy
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Nicole Cooke of Great Britain won the women's World Championship road race in a three-up sprint with 2006 champion Marianne Vos of the Netherlands and 2004 champion Judith Arndt of Germany. She adds the rainbow jersey to the Olympic gold medal she won in Beijing last month, and becomes the first Briton to win a senior road rainbow jersey since Mandy Jones took the 1982 title in Goodwood, England. The three were part of a break royale that formed on the final of eight laps that also included Emma Johansson of Swede and Trixi Worrack of Germany.
The five riders escaped under the impetus of an attack from Vos on the steep climb of via Montello with just over 15km to the finish, and were originally six until a puncture for Susanne Ljungskog ended her chances. There were several attacks in the closing stages particularly from Vos – when she looked to have made a race-winning move on the final Ronchi climb – and Johansson – when a late attack looked to have taken the others unawares, but in the end it came down to a sprint and the Welshwoman proved to be the fastest.
"I am very, very happy," said Cooke after the race. "I am very happy following Beijing. When we started I was relaxed because I had met my objective with the Olympics. We had a nice team plan, it was not complicated, it was simple – just to try to do our best. I saved all I had for the finish line and it worked.
"It is great to win and share the podium with great competitors," she added, paying tribute to Arndt and Vos.
"I have a lot of respect for all the riders here," said Cooke in response to a question about Vos in particular. "They are both [Arndt and Vos] former world champions. It was really tactics against riders, but knowing my limit and saving my best for the end of the race. I know that would be the best I could do."
Twice in the final lap Vos attacked, possibly casting herin the final sprint. Cooke seemed to deny that this was a mistake by the Dutchwoman though. "I think that she had shown she can win in climbs or win races in sprints," she said. "I was not surprised because the hills are a good place to attack. You can't take anything for granted... . I had to ride my own race. I had to react to her attacks the best I could."
"In the sprint – Marianne started it – I saw the orange jersey come back and just knew all I could do was get into the slipstream and keep going all the way to the line. I did not know what would happen but I just tried my best in the sprint."
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At one point in the final lap, an attack from Worrack and Vos looked like it might have succeeded, but it was pulled back with less than 2km to go thanks to co-operation rest of the breakaway group. "I was working with Johansson on the downhill," revealed Cooke, "and we went quite hard."
In the past six weeks, Cooke has taken Olympic gold and now the rainbow jersey of World champion, something that even she is having trouble coming to terms with. "It was a dream come true in Beijing," she said, "and today as well. I don't think I've realised it yet, after the race it was very busy and there was a lot going on. I think I need some time to let it sink in."
"I felt good in the last lap," said silver medallist Vos. "I tried to give my best, [but] I could not get away. When it was the last I tried to get into the sprint. I saw Nicole was in my wheel, and I could not do anything better. She had a good sprint."
"What was my biggest mistake?" she said. "Maybe when I attacked because everyone then knew I was good. But I felt good and I had to do the work. I think the others in the group are normally fast on the line. I gave it all I had and I don't think I made a mistake."
Vos rode a very aggressive race, but just as she reached the line she seemed to hesitate in her sprint. "It was not the plan," she said. "I sprinted as much as I could [but] I had cramps right at the line. I saw Nicole coming, she had an extra acceleration and I did not – she was the fastest on the line."
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Third place Arndt couldn't quite match the sprint of the other two, but adds a second bronze medal to the one she took in Wednesday's time trial. "I am happy actually," she said. "It was a great race and I enjoyed it."
On top of her personal achievement, Arndt praised the work of her compatriots. "The German team was always on top of things. We had three riders in the early break. We had two riders in the move of five and we got third, it does not look good maybe, but we attacked and attacked, It did not work out, I think we can be proud but we did every thing we could. I like the race we did, it was positive and it was fun."
"I think we won 32 medals at worlds and European championships. I think that the coach made the right decisions and chose the right riders."
A late attack from Johansson almost worked, but she was caught within sight of the line and finished in fourth. She acknowledged that this solo break might have been the only way for her to take victory against faster finishers. "More or less," she told Cyclingnews. "I knew both Marianne and Nicole Cooke have an awesome sprint, and I was feeling really tired as well. There was a lot going on with all the attacks from Judith and Trixi. My chance was to try to attack and when everything stopped I tried. They first let me go, but with 500 metres I was totally blocked."
Johansson recognised that her attack was similar in characteristics to that of Colombian Fabio Duarte who took the under-23 men's title in such a fashion. "It was a little bit like that," she said. "I tried..."
"I did not try exactly the same or I would have waited longer to make my move. I tried to make the move and see if it lasted until then, but it did not this time. It is better to try and to lose than never try at all."
Local Italian favourite Noemi Cantele just missed the winning move, but chased for almost half of the final lap to try to catch them. Ultimately it was too much for the Varesina and she drifted back into the peloton to finish 37th, 1:39 behind Cooke. "I didn't have the legs," she told Cycingnews afterwards. "I was just not strong enough today. When the break occurred, I was not in a good position."
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Before the final selection of favourites formed, an attack from Australian Nikki Egyed saw her break clear on the penultimate lap. "We did not want to leave it until Vos' and Cooke's attacks," she told Cyclingnews at the finish. "Looking at how I rode today I questioned if it might not have been better to wait to go with them myself [in the finale], but it is easy to say that now. If I had stayed away we would have been having a different conversion now."
As the race closed in, Egyed saw that a solo break might be the best way of making the final selection after the climb was over. "I figured I had more of a chance of getting over the steep climb my self and recovering on the descent," she explained. "Unfortunately Vos was attacking right at the same moment.
"Those girls are really classy riders so you can't afford to already be third when they come by," she added.
By far the most active member of the original 12-woman breakaway was Kristin Armstrong of the United States. Despite being a contender for the race victory, she felt that this was the best tactic to employ against the other teams. "We knew that of the team Amber [Neben] and I were the strongest going into the day with this sort of course," she explained to Cyclingnews. "I wanted to catch the teams off guard. I knew the leaders would be sitting back and I am a leader so I wanted to give it a go. It came down to a bigger bunch than we wanted, but I was able to let her [Neben] relax in the bunch with Arndt and Vos and Cooke."
Oenone Wood of Australia rode her last race at this level today, and while on a personal level it may not have gone as the 2005 bronze medallist would have liked, she was happy with her team-mate Egyd's performance. "For me personally I probably lacked a little bit of race fitness," she said, "as I didn't have the opportunity to race since the Olympics. But for our team - Nikki Egyed put herself in a fantastic position today.
"She went with the move on the second lap," she said, "and that was the break that stayed away. And then her attack was really good, knowing that she can be pretty bad up the hill but she really tried to win. It didn't work out today but I think for next year, she can take confidence from that knowing that she can be competitive with the top level of women's cycling."
How it unfolded
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138 riders set out from the Mapei Cycling Stadium at the Varese Hippodrome under overcast skies and chilly temperatures but no sign of rain.
Midway through the first of eight laps a breakaway of 13 riders escaped, consisting of Kristin Armstrong (USA) Luise Keller; Charlotte Becker, Angela Brodtka (all Germany); Diana Ziliute and Jolanta Polikeviciute (both Lithuania); Grace Verbeke (Belgium); Maryline Salvetat (France); Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain); Nikki Egyed (Australia); Monia Baccaille (Italy); Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spain) and Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico). Part way through the second lap though Brodtka was dropped, leaving 12 up front.
Having missed the move, the Dutch team of Marianne Vos sent successive riders to the front and so the gap never exceeded two minutes. Pressure from the Dutch, the Canadians and Emma Pooley of Great Britain brought the group back to within striking distance and several of the race favourites joined.
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As the groups were forming on the penultimate lap, Egyed attacked and managed to build a solo lead. She took the bell alone, but on the first climb of the final lap an attack from Vos poulled a new group of six riders clear.
In front now were Vos, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain), Judith Arndt and Trixi Worrack (both Germany), and Emma Johansson and Susanne Ljungskog (both Sweden). Noemi Cantele of Italy just missed the move but was chasing alone behind them.
Ljungskog punctured almost as soon as the break had formed and a slow change effectively ended her race. The five others continued together.
On the final climb of the Ronchi a hard attack from Vos saw her escape the others and looked to have won the race, but persistence from the other four reeled her in just as she rode over the top.
In the final few kilometres a series of attacks failed to get away with Worrack doing the lions share of the work for teammate Arndt, until with less than two to go, Johansson escaped on her own.
The Swede passed under the last kilometre banner alone but was reeled back in – again by Worrack – and drifted back.
Vos was the first to launch her sprint but Cooke quickly got her wheel and came round in the final metres to take the victory. Arndt was unable to match the sprint of the other two and finished third to take the bronze medal, with Johansson and Worrack following.
Ziliute led the peloton home 1:47 back, with Cantele and Ljungskog having been caught in the closing stages.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net
- Mariya Slokotovich (Kazakhstan) was the first crash victim of the day, not long after the start.
- The Italians were in row one and the centre of attention. The home team was desperate to win today.
- The pace was furious right from the start. This is lap one...
- The peloton rolls by in the streets of Varese.
- Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) wins the World Championships, shortly after becoming Olympic champion.
- Cooke had the strongest sprint after a long day in the saddle.
- A smiling Cooke ended her season amazingly strong
- Cooke in the rainbow jersey that she will get to wear next year.
- Cooke with the flowers on the podium.
- Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) crowned her successful season with a great win in Varese.
Images by Riccardo Scanferla
- Cooke prevailed in the sprint over Dutchwoman Marianne Vos and German Judith Arndt.
- Cooke in the limelight once again.
- The podium from left to right with silver medalist Marianne Vos, winner Nicole Cooke and bronze Judith Arndt.
- Cooke was visibly delighted with her win today.
- A proud Cooke shows off her medal
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- The 'home' team line up before the start. The Italians were ready for their World Championships.
- The South African team bikes were stacked whilst they were presented on the stage.
- Kristin Armstrong (USA) before the start Looking relaxed.
- Armstrong (USA) and Egyed (Aus) at the front of the break on the main climb.
- The bunch in pursuit of the break, early in the race.
- Nikki Egyed (Aus) leads Grace Verbeke (Bel) in the break group.
- Mid-distance and Armstrong is still driving the break on the climb .
- Nikki Egyed (Aus) goes for a solo attack with 1 lap to go .
- Team GB line up before the start .
- Fabiana Luperini (right) and the Italian team lead the race out of the stadium.
- Lap 2 and already the break has formed and is being led by Kristin Armstrong.
- Monica Baccaille (Italy) in the middle of the break .
- Newly crowned World TT Champion, Amber Neben (USA) sits in the bunch on the climb.
- The bunch lines out on the climb .
- Egyed and Verbeke in the break with 3 laps to go.
- Sharon Laws (GBr) on the climb .
- Varese local, Noemi Cantele (Italy) was a hopeful for the title.
- Among the riders retiring from the peloton after this road race was multi-times Japanese RR Champion, Miho Oki.
- The break enters the stadium, with just over 2 laps to go.
- Angela Hennig (Ger) polices the front of the bunch with 2 laps to go..
- Charlotte Becker (Ger) leads the chase after Nikki Egyed (Aus) with one lap to go.
- The sprint is on. Vos (centre) leads Cooke (left) and Arndt (right) with about 100m to go.
- Just before the line, Marianne Vos (Ned) realises that its over Nicole Cooke (GBr) is still accelerating and will take the title.
- Nicole Cooke (GBr) wins the World RR Championship, 2008 A title which she has chased for many years.
- A happy champion, Nicole Cooke (GBr) in the rainbow jersey .
- Nicole Cooke (GBr) shows off her jersey to the crowds after being crowned World RR Champion, 2008.
- The medal winners: Marianne Vos (Ned), Nicole Cooke (GBr) and Judith Arndt (Ger).
Images by Davide Tricarico/ladiescycling.net
- Rochelle Gilmore (Australia) and her teammates warming up in the team box.
- Linda Villumsen (Denmark) gets a massage before the big race.
- the return of Zinaida Stahurskaya (Belarus) in the box with Hanna Talkanitsa (Belarus) and Alena Sitsko (Belarus).
- Ukrainian captain, Alona Andruk.
- Mariya Slokotovich alone in her thoughts as the one and only rider for Kazakhstan.
- Noemi Cantele (Italy) l'enfant du pays.
- Diana Ziliute (Lithuania) expalin the tactics about the race... "a tutta!!!!" (fire and flames).
- The captain of the Russian team Julia Martisova.
- A look of one of the riders who will make the race hard; Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico).
- The fugitives on the hill of Ronchi: Kristin Armstrong (USA) Luise Keller; Charlotte Becker, Angela Brodtka (all Germany); Diana Ziliute and Jolanta Polikeviciute (both Lithuania); Grace Verbeke (Belgium); Maryline Salvetat (France); Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain); Nikki Egyed (Australia); Monia Baccaille (Italy); Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spain) and Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico)..
- The chase group lead by Erinne Willock (Canada).
- the early escape was away for a lot of the race.
- the podium (l-r) Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Nicole Cooke (Great Britain), Judith Arndt (Germany) 3rd for the second time in 3 days.
- Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) kisses the gold.
Images by Sirotti/www.sirotti.it
- The Italian team gets introduced
- The Italians are coming to town
- Noemi Cantele was all smiles before the start, but she was unable to bridge to the winning group late in the race.
- Pat McQuaid and Giro organiser Angelo Zomegnan
- The US team waits to get onto the podium before the race, but they were unable to get a spot on it afterwards.
- South Africa looked ready to tackle the 130+ kilometres.
- Brazil's four-women team before the start
- The Brazilian team didn't count amongst the favourites
- The team from Venezuela
- Before the start
- The Italians had the the hometown pressure to deliver a good result.
- The Dutch team
- The lead group with Kristin Armstrong that was ahead for most of the race.
- The bunch was chasing the leaders past the Spanish fans.
- Armstrong was hyper-active and had also initiated the move.
- The Belgian fans watch on
- The scenic course in Varese
- The bunch was surprised by the early attack that included several good riders.
- The Italians were stuck behind and had to scramble to get back into the race.
- Cooke takes the win ahead of Vos
- The flying Cooke and the sky is the limit.
- Cooke's win comes after taking the Olympic gold in August.
- Lithuanian Diana Ziliute takes the sprint of the chasers. It is Ziliute's final year in the pro circuit.
- Arndt on the podium and probably slightly disappointed that after so many wins this season she couldn't get first today.
- Vos was happy with silver
- Cooke was extremely happy with her second coupe in a month.
- A joyous Cooke on the podium
- Cooke waves the flowers
- The podium with Vos, Cooke and Arndt (l-r)
- Arndt proudly shows her bronze
- The rainbow Cooke shows the gold
- The gold is blinking alright
- Vos and her silver medal
- Cooke wasn't ready to actually bite into her gold.
- Cooke cooked the others in the sprint
- Nicole Cooke wins gold
- Cooke storms by the beaten German team.
- Celebrating at the finish
- Cooke was super-happy to have beaten the others.
- The podium from left to right with Vos, Cooke and Arndt.
- Cooke was visibly happy under the Varese skies
- Cooke shows gold
- Paolo Bettini one day before the road race at the press conference.
- A smiling Bettini arrived at the press centre.
- Bettini gets ready to announce his retirement.
- Bettini retires with the memory of very good results.
- Pat McQuaid at the press conference at the women's race
- McQuaid at the women's press conf
Images by AFP Photo
- Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) sits on the wheel of Vos, patiently waiting for her time to strike.
- Judith Arndt (Germany) puts in a strong attack on the final lap.
- Marianne Vos (Netherlands) tried to make the early move rather than rely on her sprint, and her gamble did not pay off.
- Nicole Cooke makes her lunge for the line and beats Marianne Vos (Netherlands) for the title.
- Nicole Cooke immediately understands the importance of what she's done.
- Olympic champion, now world champion Nicole Cooke turned a quiet season into a huge year.
- Nicole Cooke lets out a scream of delight after taking the win in the women's race.
- Cooke grabs a Welsh flag after winning the world championships.
- Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) with her second gold medal - the first came in the Olympics in August.
Results
1 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) 3.42.11 (37.482km/h) 2 Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 3 Judith Arndt (Germany) 4 Emma Johansson (Sweden) 0.05 5 Trixi Worrack (Germany) 0.11 6 Diana Ziliute (Lithuania) 1.47 7 Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spain) 8 Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand) 9 Alex Wrubleski (Canada) 10 Julia Martisova (Russian Federation) 11 Claudia Häusler (Germany) 12 Chantal Beltman (Netherlands) 13 Linda Villumsen (Denmark) 14 Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) 15 Nikki Egyed (Australia) 16 Grace Verbeke (Belgium) 17 Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) 18 Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania) 19 Christiane Soeder (Austria) 20 Maryline Salvetat (France) 21 Kaytee Boyd (New Zealand) 22 Amber Neben (United States Of America) 23 Malgorzta Jasinska (Poland) 24 Siobhan Dervan (Ireland) 25 Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico) 26 Monia Baccaille (Italy) 27 Rasa Polikeviciute (Lithuania) 28 Sharon Laws (Great Britain) 29 Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) 30 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Netherlands) 31 Susanne Ljungskog (Sweden) 32 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Lithuania) 1.56 33 Natalia Boyarskaya (Russian Federation) 34 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Lithuania) 35 Emma Pooley (Great Britain) 36 Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spain) 37 Noemi Cantele (Italy) 1.59 38 Zinaida Stahurskaya (Belarus) 4.54 39 Kristin Armstrong (United States Of America) 4.56 40 Alexandra Burchenkova (Russian Federation) 5.24 41 Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain) 42 Rosane Kirch (Brazil) 6.08 43 Grete Treier (Estonia) 6.11 44 Maja Adamsen (Denmark) 45 Oxana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation) 46 Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Brazil) 47 Karine Gautard (France) 48 Erinne Willock (Canada) 49 Lieselot Decroix (Belgium) 50 Sereina Trachsel (Switzerland) 51 Martina Ruzickova (Czech Republic) 52 Iturriagaechevarria (Spain) 53 Vicki Whitelaw (Australia) 54 Edwige Pitel (France) 55 Paulina Brzezna (Poland) 56 Marissa Van Der Merwe (South Africa) 57 Monika Grzebinoga (Poland) 58 Liesbet De Vocht (Belgium) 59 Daniela Pintarelli (Austria) 60 Julie Beveridge (Canada) 61 Jessica Allen (Great Britain) 62 Suzanne De Goede (Netherlands) 63 Oenone Wood (Australia) 64 Carla Ryan (Australia) 65 Tatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation) 66 Patricia Schwager (Switzerland) 67 Kori Kelley Seehafer (United States Of America) 68 Monika Schachl (Austria) 6.16 69 Rosara Joseph (New Zealand) 70 Fabiana Luperini (Italy) 71 Charlotte Becker (Germany) 72 Luise Keller (Germany) 73 Oksana Kashchyshyna (Ukraine) 9.22 74 Verónica Leal Balderas (Mexico) 75 Sylwia Kapusta (Poland) 12.14 76 Anriette Schoeman (South Africa) 13.17 77 Sigrid Corneo (Slovenia) 78 Felicia Greer (Canada) 79 Jennifer Hohl (Switzerland) 80 Elodie Touffet (France) 81 Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania) 82 Miho Oki (Japan) 17.50 83 Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukraine) 20.20 84 Laure Werner (Belgium) 22.02 85 Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Switzerland) 86 Julie Krasniak (France) 27.51 87 Chrissie Viljoen (South Africa) 28.39 88 Lynette Burger (South Africa) 89 Magdalena Zamolska (Poland) 90 Inga Cilvinaite (Lithuania) 91 Alona Andruk (Ukraine) DNF Karin Thürig (Switzerland) DNF Anne Samplonius (Canada) DNF Irene Van Den Broek (Netherlands) DNF Christine Thorburn (United States Of America) DNF Angela Brodtka (Germany) DNF Rochelle Gilmore (Australia) DNF Anita Valen De Vries (Norway) DNF Hanna Taukanitsa (Belarus) DNF Yuka Yamashima (Japan) DNF Maria Briceno Jimenez (Venezuela) DNF Eva Lechner (Italy) DNF Brooke Miller (United States Of America) DNF Emma Rickards (Australia) DNF Katheryn Curi Mattis (United States Of America) DNF Andrea Thürig (Switzerland) DNF Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spain) DNF Regina Bruins (Netherlands) DNF Jarmila Machacova (Czech Republic) DNF Yulia Blindyuk (Russian Federation) DNF Louise Moriarty (Ireland) DNF Leticia Gil Parra (Spain) DNF Olivia Dillon (Ireland) DNF Garcia Buittrago D. (Venezuela) DNF Kathryn Bertine SKN DNF Monica Holler (Sweden) DNF Christine Majerus (Luxembourg) DNF Karin Aune (Sweden) DNF Anna Harkowska (Poland) DNF Robyn De Groot (South Africa) DNF Cherise Taylor (South Africa) DNF Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Brazil) DNF Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) DNF Nathalie Bates (Australia) DNF Yolandi Du Toit (South Africa) DNF Janildes Fernandes Silva (Brazil) DNF Pascual Torrecilla G. (Spain) DNF Marie Lindberg (Sweden) DNF Heather Wilson (Ireland) DNF Alena Sits Ko (Belarus) DNF Polona Batagelj (Slovenia) DNF Nathalie Lamborelle (Luxembourg) DNF Laura Lepasalu (Estonia) DNF Katarina Uhlarikova (Slovakia) DNF Adriana Lovera Varela (Venezuela) DNF Mariya Slokotovich (Kazakhstan) DSQ Mayuko Hagiwara (Japan) DNS Grassi Herrera G. (Mexico)
